Hi guys! Back from vacation and the studio. Heres a snippet of the kick that makes my bassport go bananas, even on fairly low levels! I returned my a7x today and aiming for some Sonodyne SM100AK instead.

U a7x guys can listen and see if if makes your ports go "frr, frr".

Its a 909 kick thru the mpressor plugin. Nothing more. They made the noise even without the compressor, but not as clear.

All controls set to 0 on the monitors.

// Johan

I don't have any port noise/frr-frr on this test-track (all controls on 0 , moderate/higher volume) ... on ADAM A7X

Can you record the sound you hear? I just got some a7x and played this sample but don't hear a frr frr

I dont have them anymore. I returned them yesterday, but the sound I hear sounds like the samples already posted by evosilica. On the 909 it almost sounded like farts! :S

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kyle_PL

I don't have any port noise/frr-frr on this test-track (all controls on 0 , moderate/higher volume) ... on ADAM A7X

Strange. Could it have something to do with the room acoustics? Or that they were seated on some mopads? My compleate setup is a MP -> Apogee duet --> 3m XLR cables --> A7X. Ive had a few other brands in the studio, both 5", 6" and 8" monitors but never experienced any portnoise.

I dont have them anymore. I returned them yesterday, but the sound I hear sounds like the samples already posted by evosilica. On the 909 it almost sounded like farts! :S

Strange. Could it have something to do with the room acoustics? Or that they were seated on some mopads? My compleate setup is a MP -> Apogee duet --> 3m XLR cables --> A7X. Ive had a few other brands in the studio, both 5", 6" and 8" monitors but never experienced any portnoise.

// J

I didn't hear anything like that sound that was posted by evosilica. Checked your sound on headphones and then through the speakers and seemed fine to me. though i could hear more thump and growl through my HD25 headphones!!

Yippe for canceling my appointments today! Got the day off, what a nice coincidence.

First and foremost, I stand corrected and owe evosilica my sincerest appologies for having doubted his port noise sampeling, suggesting he failed to distinguish the port noise from rattle !! Sorry dude, I just got slapped in the face hard (more later) (I deleted previous post, but the files below speak for themselves)

Anyway, my post back up, at the beggining was a general hands up pleading "wow, lets take it easy shall we, and look at this under a serious microscope" - and since its blazing hot and I'm off to the beach with my lady later in the afternoon, I ran back home and ran the following test to support my turbulence/helmholtz ressonance theory, and the easy DIY workaround.

I ended up saving the cubase project as "Port, Rattle and Roll", 'cos these pups are rollin' back to Germany, unless some alien force wipes my memory of the excruciating time I just went through. Sorry Adam, no dissing here, go back to page 1 and read through, anyone could have very easily yelled at me saying "HEY ADAM FAN BOY, lay down on that sweet talking and ego massaging, this is no pick-up bar".

Procedure:

This is my home setup, where I don't have any fancy recording gear. Treated but with some life in it. RT60 around .5s. Here is where I finish off projects and/or the light local mastering.

A3 Kick L back - mic pointing straight at backplate between where it says
"A7X" and Germany - distance 1cm, no angle - straight on target

A4 Kick R front - same as A2, but right speaker. (which I thought was ok)

A5 Kick R back - sames as A3, but right speaker

A6 L 0dB - This will also apply to the rest of the file list.
A6 R 0dB

Basically each file has 2 sine sweeps in each. The first, a
pulsating sine sweep applying the typical dance club kick-pad
sidechain ducking trick, so gushes of air are forced out -
from 8hz to 633Hz... followed by a much slower continuous
sweep from 29Hz to 745Hz. This first 2 files had the master
fader at 0.0dB (with inserted L2 at -0.4dB while recording,
disengaged when bouncing). The other files are mere
repetitions, but at the named level. Again, the mic was pointed at a
45º so as not avoid direct flow to membrane. There was no levelling, compression, eq applied. Inserts bypassed on bounce, so the nomial level reffers to the output to the Adams, not recording nor rendering levels.

A7 L -12dB
A7 R -12dB

A8 L -18dB
A8 R -18dB

A9 L -24dB
A9 L -24dB

Finally, teste again with the same material that first flaired a distress signal. Mr Dave Holland jammin away on his double-bass. I would swear by my granny the issues are alot worse, but I'm not the best to state these things right now, evosilica dude, really, sorry - in my defense, if I may, listen to the port noise on the holland file, its the same thing, but because not a simple waveform, the tone changes to a much darker one. Sine sweep, same sound as your files.

PLEASE BE CAREFUL WITH THE SINE SWEEPS, SPECIALLY THE PULSATING ONES - will not be held responsible for any damage to your system, ears etc etc.

File 3? Shake, rattle and funky magnetic shielding ? Fantastic. I wonder, if I still had a CRT monitor, would I get free ambisonic audio too?

Have you gone through file 6 yet? Dave Holland file ?All the way through? My grandad had a beat up diesel Ford that ratteled and fizzled less.
I'd trade all the "science" in me for the Adam sound + durability, stability, trustworthiness, pedigree, etc.

I just simply cannot justify myself spending P22's or SX whatever. Either too big, too loud, I would never use the power amp even at 50% etc... These were my all-in-one dreamteam. A7x and my ears. Haven't got a f*cking clue what to do next. I love Adam, but after all this ?!!?! After the A7's I kept sending back until I got a good pair? Trusted them with heart, sold them for A7x's and all the promisses?... Start the whole process AGAIN? dfegad
I look at them and I dont feel like working on them any more, and the sad truth is that if you dont push them over 50% with real life material (except slow jazz, slow world music, slow electronic ambience, or you're making dog music, HPF at 500hz, etc etc etc) you get (my) sonic wet dream.

Like falling madly in love with the hottest chick around, and she digs you like crazy EXCEPT.... she has all the deadly STD's around.
I am really pissed by my "defend Adam science project"... How many files are there? 14 rounds confronting the stone cold truth. I tell ya, when I chose that kick sample, I was all like "Hey, this sample HAS a hi-pitched port-noisy-wind blow behind the actual boom, could it be these guys are usings similar samples, and maybe because the tweeter is so f*cking magical, the were inoccently brought to believe something was actually wrong with the speakers, chuckle chuckle, maybe compressed the audio and it went all 3D on them, loool." - not even 5 minutes later I was fuuck me for being a dick.

I own two pairs of Adam monitors, A7 and P33 and I love them a lot (I feel your drustration in having to let go Adam sound there BigBang) and I've never had a problem with them, just to say, but these samples are crazy.. that sounds like a massive problem.

One thing tho' I don't get, if it's a port noise problem, would it be a design flaw? if so, why don't ALL of the owners are hearing it? (or do they?)

Just to take the edge off a more and more emotional discussion: We are on it, doing all kinds of tests and comparisons. Be assured, we do take this very serious. Please give us a little more time to come to a solid, scientific conclusion. As for now: first tests show no "rattling" but some port/air noises (that speakers from other companies show, too).

I will get back to you with more fundamental results as soon as possible.

I wrote a huge essay on that subject, HUGE, biggest I ever have for sure. Debating the physical properties that caused the phenomena of port noise and a possible easy and quick fix. Huge, because I de-and-re-constructed a theory where with little DIY design effort and practically zero cost, maybe, just maybe, real-life-work-conditions-with-residual-port-noise could be tamed, maybe even eliminated entirely. If not, maybe missed by just that much. Maybe completely wrong, but as community work to contribute to debate and progress and get somewhere useful. I am so utterly appalled with this joke of a stress test I concoted above...

It´s like forcing an olimpic champion to run to the supermarket and oooooohhhh transport back, using ONLY his OWN unique brute force, without external SUB-help, a six-pack to watch the match later on.

it f*ckin rattles and fizzles at -24dB ARE YOU JOKING ME ? I BARELY USED THEM !!

And curiously, what I did above Is NOT A STRESS TEST, IT IS ACTUAL REAL LIFE WORKING CONDITIONS FOR SOME PEOPLE !!! dfegad

I DO SERIOUS WORK WITH SINEWAVES JUST FYI ! Dont believe? check the date on this thread fuuckfuuckfuuck

Murphy's Law now dictates I am f*cked because prototype clinical board trials for future fundings are to start possibly as soon as September, and using a Sub for this specific task is a no-go. And I was going to sinewave myself silly all throughout August, and do just that. Playing the "sending back until a magical good pair arrives" is going to seriously mess up my schedule, other people depend on my results to integrate. Murphy you asshole... I should have tested the sines, but have you any ideas what its like to listen to that + out of phase ??

Rattles are no excuse, plain and simple. And NOW, I even get really strong fizzles on the upper mids from the tweeter?! WTF ?! Rattles, port noise now fizzles too?

When I first hooked them up (and broke them in overnight) I almost felt the touch of sonic god blessing my studio. A good friend came over, fantastic d-bass player, he's starting thinking on buying a good step up for himself. So I demoed the speakers and he was WOOOW, the image, the extension, the faithfullness, the depth good lord I hear things I've never noticed before! (he barely knows of Adam)... I then said, go on, pop in something you reeeaaly have good ears for, and know quite well bla bla... lets go acoustic!

He chose the exact song as posted above. That´s when I first heard the rattles. I was NOT cranking, I do NOT cranck. Just that slow deep d-bass groove. I'm your typical tympanic pussy, and proud of it, I´m 32 and can hear way up to 20k, possibly more, if the SPL and orientation is just right. CRT Tv's, I hear the whining like you wouldn´t believe. Chalk nails paralize me and make me act like if I were the biggest gay-pussy-puss on earth (I´m not homophobic, I am ANGRY )

I didn't even pay attention to it, my brain didn´t even compute the possibility.but he has almost real perfect pitch and knows how to listen. He simply said something like

"man, I swear I can SEE him playing in front of me, that left hand is simply ridiculous, astonishing! I can REALLY hear the string right here, wow, this tweeter is something else... but that weird buzzing is driving me nuts, I simpy can´t stand it any longer, lets get out of here and grab a beer etc etc".

I put my ear to the L sure enough I heard it, I went behind the speaker to double check not something else, and almost threw a mental fit. First or second day of use? What a let down... I really thought vibration from a CD jewelcase left on the table, the odd whatever metal thing left behind, keychain and whatnot...

I went out and conviced a local band to let me record them, pro-bono,and seriously test drive what I could achieve with my A7x's without the monetary compromise client relation thing. Mixed it in my appartment, mostly nights or very early mornings, and I do respect my neighbours. Revisiting my fav CD´s once in a while (my gal likes not distortion), then the odd mastering, then I mixed and mastered a world music percussion/acoustic radio advance, then another quick mastering gig... in 3 months that's the use it got. I've had in-ear headphones running round town for longer period in one week, that the Adams in 3 months total!

Rarely have I gone over 80dB SPL, since I know the 7's so well, plus this new low end, I can monitor for HOURS way lower previous ideal A7 fletcher-munsen levelling SPL's (the A7's forced me to go well over 85dB at critical stages), and still translate great (better even) -

the joy, the new comfort, the invisible fatigue, the increase of perception, the bliss! - Like the hottest babe with a STD's I tell ya.

When for the first time I barely get near the speaker's "redline" to seriously test what I bought... I discover its not just a cold, its gonnorea, aids and sifilis, all three!

On file -8dB there is the fizzle I spoke about, but the mic doesnt manage to pick it up on the other files (-18, -24), it is very well masked
but I can hear it over here.

The first file, named -8dB is well audible, at 00:07s - then from 00:12 to 00:18 is shoes up again a bit longer, but please listen 3 or 4 times
because the masking effect, recorded, works wonders. If you concentrate on what a sinewave sounds like, and please believe
me I have worked and do work with sinewaves constantly, you will very easily here the background drone of the fizzle.

I know sweeps are a bitch and bring out the worse in any situation, but I just did these sweeps, in order -24, -18, -8
and at -8 the tweeter freaked. A slight crackeling was heard and the light blinked 2 or 3 times, and went back to normal.
I looked at the tweeter, the ribbon ripples were abit randomy, not paraller, but 10 seconds later, perfectly alighned.

I used the exact same project as before, L2 slapped on for safety at -0.4, the Master bus fader set at -8dB, the A7x's knos at flat
ZERO and I am using a passive volume control...

Please say something positive man, HOW is this possible? To overload a tweeter that is supposed to go up to, what is it, 50hz ??
Crackes up at -8dB doing a straight slope?

ATENTION; THE FOLLOWING SWEEPS ARE DANGEROUS TO LISTEN TO.

If you want to potencially go deaf, don't check the volume knob and just hit play.

The first file is a labour of love.

To ask ADAM's forgiveness for my loss of temper, extreme frustration tantrum, I recorded a rendition of the old french classic "Frere Jaques".

I call it -> Frere Port Noise

I used the ancient solfeggio scale tuning, and curiously, the only instrument I had in the house capable or reproducing these mystical non-ionian notes, was the mouse wheel, sine gen and A7x's.

Exactly WHICH files? At what level? Similar sweeps, like not the same? Using square shape, tri ? Hold on, an entirely DIFFERENT sine gen ?
See.. get factual ! so people can objectively discuss.
Did you note down the exact frequency where they ressonate? Because you are plainly saying they are the same. 3x pair of Adams doing the same singing, predicteable, yes.
Another cabinet, even 1cm longer on one the edges will have different ressonations.
Do you know the dirrfence between cabinet ressonace and cabinet RATTLE? Please talk about your 3 speakers...

...as in, any, ANY material on earth, even the strongest crystals, ressonate...?

Our ENTIRE universe exists because it keeps on ressonating at higher or lower levels.

Mechanical rattles!!! If you have 3 ratteling pair of speakers, congrats, you have 3 faulty speakers that can die anytime, anywhere, short circuit or even explode in your face.

YES I'm in a bad mood... I'll get over it - And yeah I just exagerrated right there... but fires really do start off this way...
I dont deal well with this type of frustration. Not material belongings, but planned objectives that envolve other people and their families too. God dammit!

AND ALSO; people with A7x's dont go "blasting" my files on your speakers!! Use HF first !! Same size, same model, same ressonation modes, port noise to the power of 2, etc... Check on HF then open feed the speakers.

You are indeed in a bad mood.I simply did some tryouts with files that were in this thread and a sine generator.I am not saying the rattling problem doesnt exist.I value the work you have done here.But i am not going to work more on it.The tryouts i did are not exact or scientific in any way but they form a pattern on which i form my oppinion.I let the adam guys do the real tests.

I am giving Adam extra, pertinent, real-life, production-run INFORMATION (and transported and instaled)
What if by this they realize its the packaging or the transport? Look if you have nothing substantial to contribute, dont pollute!
you just said in other words

"...I have no idea what I am doing, but I might as well jump in and to contribute with nothing, and affirm you are all wrong because I
are right..." and present absolutely nothing to back you up... hmmmm.... aaaaaaah.... eeeeeehhh..... u-hm.. I see.
Brilliant !! So brilliant indeed, that its spectrum of radiance vastly exceeds my perception skills. I bow before ye, oh mystical one...

The guy before you, Pronto, plays files with recorded rattles and thinks his speakers are ratteling themselves... and he thinks this discussion is horse ****. And above all, he is happy about it !! Who are you guys ?!Is this for real ?!?!

I am in no way the best, the saviest, the coolest, the whatever, but you guys show absolutely zero professionalism. I live to learn, and the only
way to learn is by making mistakes, right Adam? Thats why they are still in the game.

Professionalism is not an acumulation of knowledge, nor a competition in a leaderboard. It is a state of mind. THEN there are better professionals than others. But the guy with hands down MOST knowledge is by no means, automatically elected king of professionals.

I am in a bad mood, yes, I did NOT attack anyone, I am angry at a COMPANY, not anyone in particular. It is MY RIGHT to complain, as a consumer (or customer). And I fundament... FUN-DA-MENT.... my complaints with metric EV-I-DENCE... say it with me, EVIDENCE.
Now, I am pissed off, I admit. Tomorrow I'll be in a good mood.
Your ignorance and conformity and unprofessionalism, and worse, UNwillingness to learn a bit, are going to stick for quite some time I see...
Imagine I record a fart. I send you the file, you play in on headphones. Will you produce a ****ty idea? No right? (ooh please contradict me, just for the heck of it, pleeeeease?)

How can you assess, or let the community cooperate, if you are being such a demagog ?
What if your speaker do not rattle at all and are perfectly clean, but you go to sleep thinking "Damn it, I got the rattles, aaaaaaahh shucks, never mind, 90% of the time they are not there" - how dumb is that? Its faulty, its your money!

True story, happened a million times, in millions of places, in millions of professions

What if you are recording a band, and the PERFECT vocal take from the super great singer who has to get in a plane 2 hours... she cuts it but as the diva she is, gets the heck out sooner, everyone leaves after the session. No problemo, the session went smooooooooth. You switch from über rattler speaker A to B, and your rattling from that bass A note masked a flunked and whiney XLR that feeds the old worn-out valve power supply, and there is absolutely nothing to be done because she sings soft and NO-ONE HEARD IT ? 2000k down the toilet because of a mid pitched "weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee" in the tape.
Oh look, the studio fire you? WHY ?! OH WHY, life is unfair... bo-ho.Those horrible HORRIBLE unfair employers...

Well, that actually DID happen to me, with a mixing board power supply (external cabinet wasn't ready), The ventilation fan masked a faulty condenser. Half a day's work came out of my pocket, ´cos my boss was a cool dude. rookie mistake not to have taken that into account and double check, and basically threw a whole day of LIVE studio sessions down the drain. I learn my lesson. I want non ratteling speakers and will fight for them.

Will you buy my car? I'll sell it for an extra 30% if you let me keep one of the wheels (and there's no extra in the trunk) - Good deal hum?

I dont want to fight, nor make enemies, but please dont just jump in like that on a guy that just figured out that his barely used 888€ pair of speakers are incapable of holding an innocent sinewave properly at -24dB !!! And, that because of that, an entire body of neuro-biologists, physiologists nad neuro-pharmachologists, who hired me with their own money, might loose a subtantial government grant because them DAMN sinewaves, that have to REALLY be pure.

Crap. After days of researching on buying my first pair of monitors I thought I was finally set on the A7's, then OMG there's the new A7X's, then I found this thread. I suppose it would be best to hold off on buying for a few months until they sort this out?

WHAT THE ****... this thread has set some new record for first posts by new GS members! I think I have counted like 6 or something... ADAM is doing something right... just try them out, its not going to hurt you to try the speakers out... I have yet to experience this port noise issue I have run many sweeps when we got our stock in and was happy but these were not done at rediculous volumes as we are a shop in a busy area... Im glad Big_Bang is taking the issue and passing on relevant info to ADAM, and Im glad ADAM are responding as such too...

Have had the ADAM A7x in my room for about 12 hours now. After a steady rotation of Dark Side of the Moon on Super Audio CD I switched to Spilt Milk (Jellyfish) for several hours and now it's Beck's Sea Change. Kind of Blue is next.

Um.

HOLY F*CKING ****! I LOVE THESE MONITORS!

Maybe I got lucky but I've heard no port noise issues and no rattling. Nothing but love coming out of these. I turned the tweeters down a click several hours ago and that seemed to really balance everything nicely. My room is 12.5 feet x 20.5 feet x 9 feet with sloped ceiling and 4 Real Traps with 24 DIY bass traps and other first-reflection treatment.

This has been one of those moments I cherish when the experience of music is brand new again. Granted, my previous monitors were rubbish and I've yet to mix on these but I am astounded by their power and detail. The bottom keeps getting yummier as they burn in.